Peg count metering arrangement



June 29, 19480 J. R. DEWAR' PEG COUNT METERING ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 1, 1945 TRUNK C/ACU/T IN V EN TOR.

IJOOMI,

JHMES R. DEW/9f? fiTTOR/VEY 'used in a given period of time.

Patented June 29, 1948.

PEG COUNT METERING ARRANGEMENT James R. Dewar, Rochester; N. assignor to Stromberg-Carlson Company, Rochester, N. Y.,,

. acorporation of New York L g i 4 Application January 1, 1945, serial No. 571,009 v v a V l .5Claimsh(Cl.17!l.-8.5) r

This invention relates rangement.

s In telephone systems or similar electrical sys tems it is frequently desirableto know the number oftimes that'a group of electrical units-are For example, in a telephone system it is especially useful, in determining traflic conditions, to know the number of times that a group of trunks, links or like circuits are used in a given interval. In the past it has been the practice-to provide a peg count meter in such determinations, for each trunk in the group of trunks under consideration. The provision of such a large number of peg count meters is not only expensive but the work involved in reading them and in obtaining a total of the several readings becomes an item of real importance.

In accordance with the present invention, a

peg count circuit arrangement having a single,

meter therein, is used to register the individual calls on the several trunks of a group and to 3.6-. cumulate or totalize the calls thusv registered.

The present metering arrangement is diagrams:

matically illustrated in the single figure of the drawing wherein the equipment indicatedat the left of the broken line is common to the group;

videdwith a supervisory conductor individual thereto which is connected to a two-step relay,

also individual to the trunk. Each such relay is connected to a terminal inthe terminal bank of sumed that there are twenty-fivetrunks in the group, the switch is shown as being ofthe twentyfivepoint size. If there are more than twenty five trunks in the group, a switch arrangement of large capacity must be provided.

With this brief description of the equipment, it

is believed thatthe invention will best beunderstood by describing how a call on a trunk or link is counted by the common peg count arrangement. Let it be assumed that there is. a call on a trunk of which only its supervisory conductor 5 is illustrated. Under this condition ground potential is connected to the supervisory conductor 5 andthence through the lower winding (240 0 to a peg count circuitar 35 in thegroup to be observed. Each trunk isprolay l0 alternately operate,-oneinterruptingthe .140 a progressively movable switch. Since it is asl ohms none-inductively wound) and the upper winding(2000-ohms) in seri'esof a so-called twostep relay], to grounded battery. 'I'he relay -l:

operates in this circuit but since itis of the twostep type, only its X contactsareoperated, itsY contacts remaining unopera'ted at i this timer:

This is. efiective to complete a circuit for the motor magnet 9 of a well-known rotary stepping switch including the brushes Saand Sb and their relatedterminal banks, although any other type:

of switching meansican beisubstituted therefor.

This circuit extends fromgrounded battery; wind- 1 ing ofxthe motor magneti); armature lfl and back contact of theinterrupten relay l.l,e'armature l2 and back contact-of the cut off relay l3, armature contact, a circuit from groundpthrough thelower winding of the interrupter :relay II, to grounded battery. Relay. ll operates and at its armaturelfl interrupts the operating-circuit of the motor t magnet 9, ,thereby advancing the switch onestep. Thus the-motor magnet. Send the interrupter-re circuit of the other in apulse assuring arrangement,.until'the switch brushlSa is advanced until it encounters the switch terminal I8 individual to r the mentioned trunk. When .terminahldis encountered, the cut-off relay l3-operates over a circuit from ground-at-the back contact and con-2 tinuityspring ztl, of relay 1 (now partially operated),v contacts l6, through terminal l 8, ;switch brush Sa, upper winding of the cut-off relay l3, conductor ;2l,..and upper winding of the interrupter relay) H, toelpl ndedbattery. :The energiz ation of the upper winding of: theinterluDterrelay II is effective toth'old this relay in itsopere atedposition to hold open the circuit ot-the mo-.

tor magnet 9 and thereby stop the finding opera tion of the switch instantaneously. Thi isnecessary since the brushes Sc and Sb of thesw-itch may advance atthe rate; of twenty-five.toforty: pulses per second in hunting for theswitch ter-n minal l8.v The cut -off relay l3, on operating locks itself operated from grounded battery, resistonZZ, s

lowerwindingof this relay,,its front contact and armature 23, to round. Relay i3. 0 1 operating, 1 further opensthe operating circuitfor the motor, magnet 9, at thfiarmature l2 .andback contact The cut-ofi relay l3,at itsarmature 2t and front contact,- ,closes a circuit fromground and winding of the peglcount meter 25, to grounded battery.

The cutwffrelay;l '3,,at;its armature Zlandfront contact, also closes a circuit from ground, switch grounded battery. This causes the relay 1 to be operated to its second step, that is, it becomes fully operated. When relay l is thus fully operated it actuates its Y contacts and maintains its X contacts operated. At its armature 30 and front contact, relay 7 closes a locking circuit for itself, from grounded battery, upper winding of relay 1 through the mentioned armature 39 and front contact, to ground over the supervisory condoctor of the trunk under consideration. The relay is thus locked operated as lon as the mentioned trunk is in use. 'At the continuity spring 20 and back contact of relay 1 the circuit including the upper windings of relays l3 and l l is interrupted and relay II is released. Thus, the ground potential is cleared from terminal It, so that on any subsequent operation of the switch the continued use of the mentioned trunk will not relay to release. At the conclusion of the use of the mentioned trunk, ground potential is removed from its supervisory conductor, in the-well known manner, to effect release of the relay I. This restores both the X and Y contacts of relay '1 to their normal condition. i

It will be understood that calls on any of the other trunkswlll be counted in like manner.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple arrangement with a minimum amount of equipment, which quickly and reliably registers the number of times that the units of a group are used.

It will be understood that a part orall of the twenty-five trunks of'the group may be taken for use simultaneously. The rotary stepping switch, common to the group, associates each of the trunks in use, in succession with the peg count meter to count that use. Thereafter, the

relay individual to a given trunk functions to disconnect that trunk during the continued use thereof, from the rQtary switch and thepeg count meter. Thus, each use of" a trunk is counted onlyonce. V

' What I claim is: I 1

1. In a'peg count arrangement, a plurality of trunks, each trunk having an individual conductor and an individual relay, means responsive to the taking of a trunk for usefor operating the relay individual to said trunk over the conductor thereof, a peg count meter common to said trunks,

means including switching mechanism for associating said peg count meter with a single'given trunk in use as indicated by the operation of the relay individual thereto, controlling means common to said trunks and responsive to the association of said peg count meter with said given trunk for operating said meter, said controlling units such as trunks and the like, each unit being provided with a control conductor, a two-step relay individual to each unit and provided with primary and secondary groups of contacts, the primary group only of said contacts being operated in the first step of said relay and both groups of said contacts being operated in the second step of said relay, means. responsive to the taking of a unit for use, for operating in its first step, the relay individual to said unit over the control conductor thereof; whereby its primary group of contacts is operated, a peg count meter common to said units, means including switching mechanism for associating said peg count meter with a given unit in use as indicated by the operation of the primary group of contacts of the relay of said given unit, governing means responsive to the association of said peg count meter with said given unit for operating said meter, said governing means being effective to operate said relay to its second step whereby its second group of contacts are closed, means including certain of said last-mentioned contacts for disconnecting the peg count meter from the unit in use, and a locking circuit for said relay completed through said secondary group of contacts and the control conductor associated therewith as long as its related unit continues in use.

3. In a peg count arrangement, a plurality of units such as trunks and the like, a two-step relay individual to each unit provided with primary and secondary groups of contacts, the primary group only of said contacts being operated by said relay in response to current of a given value and both groups of said contacts being operated by said relay in response to current of a difierent value, means responsive to the taking of a unit for use for supplying current of a given value to the relay individual to said unit whereby only the primary group of contacts thereof is operated, a peg count meter common to said units, means including switching mechanism for associating said peg count meter with a given unit in use as indicated by the operation of the primary group of contacts of the 'relayof said given unit, controlling means responsive to the association of said peg count meter with said given unit for operating said meter, said controlling means being effective to operate said relay to its second step whereby its second group of contacts are closed, means including certain of said last-mentioned contacts for disconnecting said peg count meter andsaid switching mechanism from the unit in use, and a, locking circuit for said last mentioned relay completed through said secondary group of contacts as long as its related unit continues in use.

4. In a peg ccuntarrangement, a plurality of peg count meter with said trunks in succession means causing therelay individual to said given I trunk to prevent said peg count meter from operating more than once on any'given use of' the trunk, and a locking circuit for said relay completed over the conductor of the giventrunk as long as its related trunk continues in use.

*2. In a peg count arrangements, plurality of until a trunk in use is located as indicated by the operation of the relay individual thereto, controlling means common to said trunksand responsive to the association of said peg count' with said given trunk during a given use thereof, and a locking circuit for said relay completed over said individual conductor as long as itsrelated trunk continues in use, said controlling means responsive to the operation of the peg count meter, causing said hunting means to associate the peg count meter with a second trunk in use.

5. In a peg count arrangement, a plurality of units such as trunks and the like, a two-step relay individual to each unit provided with primary and secondary groups of contacts, the primary group only of said contacts being operated by said relay in response to current of a given value and both groups of said contacts being operated by said relay in response to current of a different value, means responsive to the taking of a unit for use for supplying current of a given value to the relay individual to said unit whereby only the primary group of contacts thereof is operated, a peg count meter common to said units, means including progressively movable switching mechanism for associating said peg count meter with a given unit in use as indicated by the operation of the primary group of contacts of the relay of said given unit, a circuit for operating said switching mechanism completed through actuated primary contacts and through unactuated secondary contacts of the relay of said given unit, controlling means responsive to the association of said peg count meter with said given unit for operating said meter, said controlling means being efiective to apply current of said difierent value to the relay of said given unit to operate it to its second step whereb all of its contacts are closed, means including certain of said last-mentioned contacts for disconnecting said peg count meter and said switching mechanism from the unit in use, and a locking circuit for said last-mentioned relay completed through said secondary group of contacts as long as its related unit continues in use.

JAMES R. DEWAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

